WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) Stock Has Average Target Price of GBX 566.43

Key Points

• WH Smith has a consensus “Hold” rating from seven brokerages: four analysts recommend holding the shares and three recommend buying them. The average 12-month price target is GBX 566.43.
• Recent analyst actions were mixed: JPMorgan cut its target to GBX 550 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, Berenberg raised its target to GBX 440 with a “hold” rating, and Canaccord lowered its target to GBX 535 while retaining a “buy” rating.
• Shares opened at GBX 422.60, below the average analyst target, with a market capitalization of approximately £636 million. Insider Helen Rose also bought 11,102 shares at GBX 450 each.

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 566.43.

Several research analysts have recently commented on SMWH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on WH Smith from GBX 575 to GBX 550 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on WH Smith from GBX 420 to GBX 440 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on WH Smith from GBX 555 to GBX 535 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th.

WH Smith Stock Performance

SMWH stock opened at GBX 422.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 390.07 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 445.40. The company has a market capitalization of £636.01 million, a P/E ratio of -4.37, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.93. WH Smith has a 1-year low of GBX 345.60 and a 1-year high of GBX 712.

Insider Activity at WH Smith

In other news, insider Helen Rose purchased 11,102 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 450 per share, with a total value of £49,959. Insiders own 0.89% of the company's stock.

About WH Smith

WH Smith PLC operates as a retailer in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in two segments, Travel and High Street. The Travel segment offers news, books, and convenience for travelling customers. It operates stores in airports, hospitals, railway stations, and motorway service areas. The High Street segment sells stationery products, including greeting cards, general stationery, art and craft, and gifting products; news and impulse products, such as newspapers, magazines, confectionery, and drinks; and books.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.